Google Told Us How To Handle Bad Reviews
We get it—negative reviews can feel like a punch to the gut. But here’s the thing: not all negative feedback reflects poor business practices. Sometimes, customers have mismatched expectations or encounter an issue beyond your control. The good news? Google told us how to address these reviews the right way in a recent email to help your reputation and show future customers that you truly care.
Let’s dive into some of Google’s suggestions!
1. Acknowledge Quickly
Time is of the essence. Responding quickly shows that you’re attentive and value feedback—whether it’s glowing or grumpy. We’ve seen firsthand how helpful it can be to reply immediately to a negative review. In many cases, the customer will feel heard and change their rating to be more positive if you do the next suggestion well…
2. Respond Politely
Keep your response professional and steer clear of defensive or emotional reactions. Think of it like a friendly conversation, not a debate, where you want to show your upset customer that you had all the right intentions, but something went wrong, and you will work on improving it.
3. Show Empathy
The magic words: “I understand how you feel.” Showing empathy goes a long way in diffusing negative emotions. Customers want to know that they’ve been heard and understood. So, acknowledge the issue and express regret that they had a less-than-ideal experience. You want to sound like a genuine human being, not just a corporate spokesperson.
4. Offer a Solution
Whenever possible, offer a solution to fix the issue or invite the reviewer to contact you directly to make things right. Even if the review stays negative, other potential customers will see that you’re proactive and committed to making things better.
Need help managing your reviews? Our automated Google Business Profile assistant Paige can handle all of your reviews for you and on top of that, make it easier for you to get reviews with our tools!
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